Alternate Lives 1: White the Necromancer
by The 483
Summary: A lone girl running from Player Killers stumbles into the cursed forest on the 13 foot of Aincrad. There, her life in Sword Art Online makes an abrupt shift, as her would be saviors are not the hero's she would have prayed for, and she finds herself in an odd situation under a little know subsystem withing the games programming. OC Storyline, with possible, but light cameos.
1. Chapter 1

_Sword Art Online: Alternate Lives_

_By: The 483_

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to **_**Sword Art Online.**_** Spoiler Alert: Light to moderate Spoilers may be contained herein.**

**Forest of the Dead**

The girl ran, her leather boots plated with light iron tearing up clods of the loose, grassy earth as she sprinted. Behind her, about 30 yards or so, about a dozen others chased, their weapons out and ready, mismatched armor and cloaks snapping in the light breeze. Behind them, a larger force advanced more slowly, fanning out to prevent her escape. It was lucky that none of the pursuit had horses, or she would not have made it as far as she had.

She cursed her utter stupidity. Everyone she knew had told her, "do not go to the 13th floor without a full group," but she had failed to listen, believing that, being level 37, nothing on such a low floor could be a proper threat. And now, with a sick sense of impending certainty, she figured she was going to die. This floor was home to a large contingent of the PK Guild Laughing Coffin, along with a number of smaller, less organized PK guilds, and she, alone and wandering the otherwise deserted markets, had attracted their attentions. Had her tracking and scouting skills not been well developed, she would not have noticed.

It began with a slight unease crawling along the back of her neck as she moved along the empty streets, finding NPC merchants selling nothing of any interest. But as she moved along, she could sense something watching her, and every so often, a dark shape would melt into a deserted and dark building. After 15 minutes, she guessed there were at least 14 individuals following or shadowing her. So, not having been noticed that she had picked up on her pursuit, she made her way casually to the edge of the city portion, to where stalls bordered the wide, grassy fields that marched to the skeletal forest in the distance.

Floor 13 was justifiably famous, not just for the high murder activity, but because here was the SAO mirror of Mount Fuji. It was a beautiful site, but also the original claim to fame for the spooky 13th floor of Aincrad. For with the iconic mountain, came the mythological Aokigahara, also known as the Suicide Forest. In the real world, it was a forest that had dozens of suicides yearly; so many that a tourist ran the chance of finding a body hanging from a tree on any given occasion, and signs asking visitors to reconsider litter the forest. In Aincrad, the forest circled the base of the mountain, was shrouded in a heavy fog, and was said to be home to demons that even the PK hand high level players feared.

But now, the foggy tree line seemed the only salvation for Terra as she praised her choice of light leather armor and urged all the speed her thin body could manage into her flight. Rumors of the forest were even creepier then rumors of the ghost town of PKers, and the location was no doubt chosen for effect to, with the usual connotation of the number 13. Not that the real landmark was not creepy, but in the real world, the forest itself was not inherently threatening. About 600 meters from the boundary, the ground was already coated in light tendrils of fog, seemingly sweeping the ground for victims. But, for the moment, the pursuing gang of murderous thugs concerned her far more than any rumor of skeletal monsters and undead nightmares. Her only chance was to lose her pursuers in the fog and trees, and discreetly make her way to a portal to another floor and safety. This, because of course, being a positive horror movie cliché of a floor, teleport crystals did nothing except in very specific areas, which were very easy for hostiles to camp. The place was ready made to be a murderers den.

The gang was closing when she crossed the first tree, and kicked through a knee high flow of fog, which slithered away like it was alive. Her ankles were buried in it, and only the tips of the tallest knots of tangled grass could be seen in the still sea of white grey. She heard shouts and curses behind her, that seemed oddly muffled as she pushed deeper, the trees thickening and the air going heavy and still. The trees this far out had no leaves, but the sky seemed to pale as if a impermeable haze clung to the branches, turning the would grey. Turning her head over her shoulder, she could still clearly see those trailing her, even though it was cloudy. It was if the fog was only obtrusive one way. They were slowing down, and approaching more cautiously. She considered slowing down when a knife thunked into the tree next to her head, and she stumbled away and dove deeper into the forest. Slowly, bramble filled bushes rose over the waist high blanket of fog so thick it swirled like a liquid around her. The trees grew thicker, leaves coated their tops, and the whole of the forest became blanketed in shadow and thin fog.

Her boot caught on gnarled root invisible in the fog, and she fell onto her face. Down in the deep fog, she could not see the nose on her face, and she thought with a furious anger that almost brought her to tears that she was going to die in a f**king cliché. It was so silent in the still air of the forest, she could hear the rattling of her opponents armor, 70 meters back and closing slowly. She rose to her knees, deciding that she might as well make her stand now, and die proudly, mounted her feet, and gasped, taking a step back in surprise. Standing no more than a meter in front of her, completely immobile in the drifting mists, was a specter of death.

A thick, coarse black cloak, some largish animal skull like an elk protruding from the hood, and glittering metal clawed gauntlets stood, empty eye sockets seeming to look directly into her terrified eyes. A large metal shafted scythe, ending in a segmented spinal column where the blade attached and with bone encasing the top of the blade, was gripped in its right hand as if it were a Chinese spear, hand griping just below the blade, hooked behind the calves, and arm resting over the pole. More bones clung here and there to the cloak, but the thing did not move.

Frozen in fear, hearing the voices behind her, she noticed two other figures seemingly skeletal, a mishmash of confused bones, wielding spear type pole arms in the same stance, with different skulls but the same unnerving motionlessness, standing close to either side of the one in front of her. When, after 30 seconds, none of them moved, and the noise of the PKers was louder, she stole a glace back at the hazy forms now only a scant 20 meters back. There was a flick of movement from one, and a flash of flying steal, and she braced for the impact of the thrown knives, when there was another flash, three echoes of metal impacting metal, and three dart like knives exploded into non-being. Terra turned back, her neck cracking with mixed fear and relief, and saw the figure to her left had moved slightly forward, but was still immobile. The bandit that had thrown the knife looked confused, but took a step back as he realized that the shadow next to the girl was not a tree, but a... something hostile.

That was when a ripple of ghostly laughter rippled across the silent forest, a chorus of chilling cackling that echoed from more than 2 dozen throats, blended and coming from everywhere in the mist.

"I see you dare to enter my forest of death." The words flowed in after the echo of horrible laughter died, spoken by so many different voices in sync, that it came as one gestalt noise. Terra felt a shiver run up her spine as a shadow fell, and she turned to see the creature standing in front of her had lifted its left arm high. "How appropriate a resting place for creatures such as yourselves." The lower jaw of the elk skull moved as the voices continued. There was a rustle on the other side, as a big man stepped forward.

"Give it up, you. We know you have no real tricks to offer up, you fraud. Fade back into your mists, before we decide to whip you and your silly pets off the face of this world." The big leader of the bandits said in a bored voice, crossing his arms over his chest. The Death Specter tilted his head to the side inquisitively.

"Ah, Cerix, a fool to the end. You body shall make a nice addition to the ornaments that decorate my forest." The Specter said, lowing his arm with a fast sweep that spun the mists in its wake. The voice was still echoed by all, as if one brain controlled many mouths. There was a creaking sound throughout the nearby trees, as bodys hanging from nooses dropped from unseen perches, teeth clicking as the ropes pulled taught, and sending the limp limbs dancing hellishly. A few of the bandits screamed and ran, while the others just looked nervous, and the big man heaved a sigh.

"Such petty antics only serve to embarrass yourself." He said, and removed his large sword from his back. There was a flutter of movement as the troops behind followed his lead. The Specter nodded once.

"Very well. Those of you that manage to make it back to your holes alive, tell them, that to intrude on the Forest of White the Necromancer, does not but give me more materials with which to shape my army." The multi-voice spoke again, then he ducked his head, and charged at the large man. Terra, with a gasp of surprise, saw more than a dozen more creatures explode up from the mists in a rattle of bone, swish of cloth, and clank of steel, before feeling a hand push her back roughly in the chest. She fell back, sinking below the fog, but pushed up again quickly in tome to see the Necromancer close, dodge a horizontal slash by twirling below it, let the shaft of his scythe slide to the tip in his right hand, and slice upward through a bandit standing a meter away, lifting the body off it's feet. He spun again as he closed, pressed his left hand to the man's chest, clenched, and pulled. The skin fell away like a wrapping paper, as he pulled the entire skeleton out of its body, and tossed it on its way, where it hit running and charged another bandit that screamed and fled from the creature. Half a dozen more turned and ran, breaking off engagement and fleeing madly back toward the sun.

With a roar of rage, Cerix leapt, intending to slam his blade down on the Necromancers wide open back, but it met with quick resistance as one of the spear wielding bone creatures intercepted the blow and vanished back into the fog with a twist. Delivering a kick to the back of the head of his scythe with heavy metal boots, the Necromancer quickly spun his weapon at the enraged bandit, who deflected the blow, getting knocked back at an odd angle, and falling. He presumably rolled as a downward spin made no contact, so the Necromancer levered his weapon with an elbow, let it ride on his hip, and buried it in the side of another attacker nearby. He scoffed, and yanked, the skin and meat of the bandit tearing away and exploding into blue shapes as it vanished, before it's skeleton righted itself, gave a silent oar, and charged another group of now fleeing bandits. Fully three quarters of the attackers had fled the ghostly servants of the Necromancer now, and Cerix leapt again, jabbing straight at the exposed rear of his enemy. One of the spear wielding constructs rose against the Necromancer's back, knocking the tip of the sword away, turning and spinning the Necromancer forward, who used the momentum to sweep a leg under the bandits, bringing him down straight onto his stomach as the reaper twisted the scythe in a interesting 6 rotation move that brought the upturned blade resting on the throat of his adversary. Terra was close enough to see the ground where the Necromancers sweeping cloak had thinned the fog, saw the mouth of the elk skull move, and the boot on the back of the bandits neck. The scene was frozen for a moment, then, with a wrench, and the clink of metal meeting metal, the Necromancer pulled up, driving the blade into the metal of his boot, cleaving through the neck of his antagonist, who blinked three times, and exploded into meaningless polygons. The remaining bandits fled now, their leader gone, and Terra came to her senses and realized her position as the thing turned empty eye sockets on her. In a swirl of silent mist, both of the constructs wielding spears had appeared beside her, rising instantly form the mists, and grabbing an arm. The Necromancer nodded once, waved for his constructs to fall in, and began to walk, as Terra was turned, and forced to march deeper into the forest.

(...)

The walk to the home of the Necromancer seemed longer because Terra was stunningly terrified. In truth, it was a five minute walk from where the fight had gone down, to the mouth of a boulder covered passage that split to the right and left. The majority of the troops moved to the left, while Terra, shivering in fright, was pulled to the right, following the Necromancer. They emerged into a largish space dominated by a three step raised dais with a large stone throne. She was halted, and the Necromancer turned to look at her for the first time, and she shrunk under the blank stare. Suddenly, with a quick move, the white skull was right in front of her nose, and the mouth opened wide.

"Boo." A single voice said, and she let out a small scream of fear and surprise, pulling back. She felt one of the arms pull away from her, and there was a loud, solid *thunk* sounding a half second later, followed by a clatter as the elk skull fell to the ground at her feet. "Ow! Jeez, Willow, that hurt!" A male voice said bruisedly, and Terra, looking up in teary eyed surprise, saw the cloaked Necromancer, now skull-less, rubbing the back of his head, and staring at one of his bone minions, who had quite obviously just connected the hilt of its spear with the back of his head. With a frustrated speed, the construct yanked the hooded skull of its head, and shook out a shock of shoulder length blonde hair, and glared in irritation at the Necromancer over a small, sharp nose and dusting of freckles.

"You're lucky I used the blunt end! Why do you have to be such a jackass? Look at her!" The blonde gestured at Terra, who was still terrified, but now considerably confused as well. "She's already terrified, and you have to antagonize her! Why the hell would you do that!?" The Necromancer pushed the tips of his index fingers together, giving off such an embarrassed air that his expression could be imagined within the hood. "Aw... she just looked so cute, I thought it would be fun to tease her a little more." The blonde looked as if she were about to explode, but the Necromancer straightened, and seriousness snapped in the air and stopped her short. "Besides, Wil, she was chased into the forest by one of the Cactus Thorns higher sub chiefs. We don't know what she's done yet, so we aren't nice yet." He said, then pushed the hood back, revealing black hair, soft eyes, and solid chin with a diagonal scar on it. He turned, and moved to the throne, and sat sloppily in it. "Wil, go get the reports and Ambrielle, and send them in. Pree, go ahead and take her to Huggles and have her fangs pulled, get yourself comfy, then bring her back for interrogation. Willow, you can sit in, to, if you don't feel like doing anything else, but if you do, I expect at least a tray of sandwiches. Now, scatter." He made a shooing motion, and both the blonde and her retainer moved in the same direction.

Terra was marched back down the first corridor, and lead into a cavernously large area, smooth stone dome ceiling sitting 3 meters over the floor, the entire area lit by streetlamps and lanterns hung along the perimeter wall. Most of the room was filled with a rambling town of stone, single story houses with a central open air stall market in the center. There were even clear NPC villagers and vendors present in the bustling area.

"There was a town under the mountain!?" Terra gasped, forgetting her fear momentarily in the view of the strange place. The person holding her arm paused, opened her personal menu, made a few adjustments, and the ghastly suit of bones vanished, revealing a small, slender woman with chin length black hair, soft, green eyes, and a kind smile wearing a mix of thin plate and light ring mail armor. She shook her head softly.

"No. White founded this town in the magma passages in the mountain in the early days of SAO, soon after the floor boss was cleared, if I recall correctly. It started with just his own house, but as he pumped more money and resources in, and more people came to settle, even NPCs began to pop into being."

"And the PKer's don't attack the town?" The woman's features darkened slightly.

"No, because they do not know that there is a settlement here. As you no doubt saw in our... dustup outside, there is a superstitious fear among many players. This helps us remain hidden from... filth such as them." There was a spike of wicked vehemence at the word filth, and the woman's eyes flashed briefly. Her rage cooled quickly however, and she continued Terra along. "While we are on the subject, I will inform you of what is about to happen. I shall escort you to our local... well, we refer to him as out quartermaster, as he handles the general armory, but he is also our de-facto sheriff. He will disarm you, and take any other unnecessary items, and place them in storage, and draw you temporary quarters until such a time as a decision is passed on what White will have done with you. After that, I shall again escort you beck to the throne chamber, where White shall interrogate you to his satisfaction. Do you understand?" Terra swallowed hard, and nodded nervously, her fear back at the mention of the word "interrogate." "If I may offer a word of advice, any cooperation you render will show favorably." She cut off and led her into a long, blocky building with no door.

Huggs'n'stuff was an enormous, polished mahogany slab of man with a cheery disposition, glittering eyes, and teeth so blindingly white they actually reflected the light of the lanterns that lit his jailhouse. While it was more of a storage house for surplus supplies, it doubled as a makeshift jail in times like these. He never lost his grin as he allowed Terra to hand over her weapons, spare armor, repair kits, food stocks, crystals, Col, and all but the armor she was currently wearing, stored them in a numbered chest, entered a lock code, and stashed the chest in a room where a dozen others were kept. He had inventoried her supplies on a paper sheet, made a quick copy, signed his chop, and handed the original to her guard as a receipt.

"Thanks, Huggs." She said, depositing it in her inventory.

"You know I live to serve, Cap." She chuckled kindly.

"You and me both. Have a good one!" She waved

"You too, give my regards to the boss man."

"Will do!" She settled in and led Terra while walking beside her, no longer holding her arm now that she was disarmed. After a moment, she spoke thoughtfully. "Now, miss..." She left it hanging open.

"Uh... Terra..." She supplied, her voice quavering slightly.

"Ah, thank you. I am Capris." The name popped into existence over the health bar displayed on the girls HUDs now that they had officially met. "Now, if you do not mind, would you tell me why you happened to be in our forest today?" And so, Terra filled the woman in on the situation that led her to her current predicament. The woman nodded when she was finished. "Ah, not bad. I do not believe you are lying, anyway, and I am sure White shall judge it that way as well." Terra had gotten the impression by the manner and familiarity with which Capris spoke that she stood in rather good stead with this... White.

"Oh? That's good. Are you high up in this society?" Not subtle, but she couldn't be blamed for wanting to know where she stood. Capris giggled merrily, holding her hand to her mouth. She shook her head, and showed off a little black leather bracelet with a single link chain wrapping around it, clipped with a small silver lock.

"Oh, my, no." She giggled again, and gave a sunny smile. "I am merely one of the master slaves." She continued to smile in joy as Terra blinked stupidly.

"... ... ... WHAT!?"

"Yes." She answered blushing slightly, but still looking offensively pleased. "I have been owned by this Master for almost 6 months, now." Her look changed to one of concern. "But do not worry, I am sure he will believe you." Terra had stopped, and blinked more in stunned disbelief.

"You mean... slave like ... as it..." Capris looked confused.

"As in I Serve my Master in whatever way they wish. Why? Does it have some other meaning?" Terra could scarcely believe the innocent act she was giving, after referring to herself as a slave.

"Is it...like, some type of RP (Role Play) thing?" Capris shook her head.

"Oh, no. I assure you, it is all quite legitimate. This little bracelet is proof of my station." She turned her wrist, and showed a little emblem of crossed scythes.

"So this system is actually supported by the game?" Capris nodded, and urged Terra to continue walking. She continued as they walked.

"Yes, there is, though it is not well know. There is a type of weapon which, if used in a player fight, can result in an "enslavement" rather than a PK if the person has certain items. I don't know about now, but I know there were a few groups who were hunting the lower floors about 9 months back, trying to snag players who were still on the starter floors."

"And this one nabbed you?" Terra asked, disgusted look on her face.

"Oh, no. Not at all. But that will have to wait..." They had entered the entrance tunnel, and were approaching the throne chamber when Capris broke off. The other girl Terra had seen, Willow, was standing in shadow, looking in, dressed casually, holding a large platter loaded with sandwiches. She did not looked pleased, and Capris led her up next the her, were they could all hear what was going on within.

"... while I cannot be sure it was all of them, the three that I eliminated today were in the group that attacked your party, and killed Iggy-Yami and Lord_Fish." They heard a sniffle, and a deep intake of breath.

"Thank you, sir. We really appreciate what you have done for us. If there is ever anything we can do for you, don't hesitate to ask."

"It is not a problem, Ambrielle. If I think I have gotten any others, I will let you know." There was another thank you, and all three girls quickly pressed themselves into the shadow of the wall as another girl emerged from the throne chamber, and hurried away, back to the town. After a handful of seconds, Willow edged very carefully and silently to the edge of the wall, looked out, and came back, looking upset. Terra noticed a bracelet that matched Capris's on her wrist, and wished she had checked the retreating girl too, wondering just how many people this guy "owned."

"Ah, crap. He's depressed." Willow whispered, irritated. Capris looked worried.

"I thought he might be. This is not good." She bit a finger, and focused on a spot past Willow's head, lost in thought. Willow poked her insistently.

"I mean it, Pree, one look at his posture, and you can tell, he is not pleased. I think if there were anything in there, it'd be getting smashed right now." Terra could not help but feel the anxiety radiating off the two, and it in no way helped her nerves. Capris said nothing, and Willow then nodded to Terra. "Is she clean? I mean, she's green, but is she clean?" Terra knew what she was referring to. Her name, like Willow's and Capris's, was lettered in green, meaning that they were not directly involved in murder or crime. Just like she knew, if she saw the Necromancer's name plate, it would be "red" which was code for permanently orange, which meant a killer of living player. Applying the qualifier "clean" meant she was not involved in paying other, already orange players to commit crimes on her behalf.

"By her story, yes, and I am inclined to believe it." Willow, for the first time, looked actually nervous.

"But... if he doesn't like it... he's mad enough right now... do you think he'd..." She sputtered, but was cut off quickly by a harsh whisper from Capris.

"No." The firm tone could not be met with further argument. "Let's get this over with quickly, before he has more time to reflect." Willow grimaced, took a few silent steps up the hall, then returned, her footsteps loud, and tray clinking against the metal of her bracelet, as she entered the room. The noise was exaggerated, but gave a warning that she was approaching, and allowed her master to compose himself. Capris leaned in, and whispered into her ear. "We wait 2 minutes." The minutes dragged, and Terra must have showed her apprehension, for Capris placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled reassuringly. These two must have been firmly indoctrinated, to care this much for a killer slave owner such as this. At the end of the wait, she was marched in.

Willow was reclining on one of the steps of the dais, nested in a pile of multicolored pillows, munching a sandwich and tucked like a cat to the left of the Necromancer, sitting forward on his thrown, waiting. Capris had Terra stand about 2 meters in front of him, then moved to the dais, mounted the steps, and produced the receipt from Hugg'n'stuff. She then opened her inventory and removed her armor set, revealing a nice white and black dress, dropped her own set of pillows on the top step, one above Willow on White's right, grabbed a sandwich, and sat, back against the front of the thrown, leaning slightly against her masters leg. White paid no attention. He scanned the document, then, without looking up, called out curtly.

"Name?" He pulled a quill pen out of his inventory.

"T-Terra." She stuttered. She had thought about adding "sir" to sound good, but if he was going to kill her anyway, she didn't want to give him the satisfaction. He scribbled quickly on the paper.

"Not terrible equipment. Level?" She did not answer. His eyes rose from the paper, but just barely. "Level?" His voice didn't rise, but it seemed to crack against the silence like a whip. Willow glanced nervously at Capris, who frowned at Terra. Terra had jumped slightly, and suddenly remembered Capris's advice on cooperation.

"S-s-sorry. 37." He returned eyes to the paper, scribbled more, looked for a moment.

"Is this a complete accounting?" He asked, then looked down at Capris. "Why is she still in that haphazard beetle suit?" She did not look up.

"Was all she had. She didn't have an outfit for social occasions." He nodded, seeming satisfied.

"So, your inventory is empty, save your armor?" Terra nodded. "Any assets outside?" No, she had been staying in inn's this whole time. By the time she got near the price for a starting house, all the cheap real estate had been snatched.

"None."

"Any guild affiliations?"

"No."

"Anyone who'd miss you?"

"A few acquaintances. But no really close friends, and anyone who knew I was going to the 13th floor, does not expect to see me return." He nodded to himself again, and she detected that Capris was pleased with her honest answer, but it was hard to tell in the presence of the Necromancer. His ...aura... was strong. He let the paper back into his inventory, folded his still armored hands, and leaned forward.

"And pray tell me, Miss, why you just happened to be pursued into my forest, by one of the sub commanders of the Cactus Thorn Guild, and a raiding party of underlings, who were aware, in part at least, that Myself and companions dwelt in this forest?" His tone was curious, but something about the menace with which it was spoke caused her to pale slightly. It was like he was the prosecutor in some bad daytime TV court show, and she was the already presumed guilty defendant. But she told her story. It sounded a lot flimsier now then when she had told Capris.

"Well, that is consistent with what it looked like when we arrived." He heaved a deep sigh. "I guess it's not surprising that eventually someone would catch on that we were hiding in the forest. Luckily, all the ones we let get away should continue to keep the less organized parties out." He nodded, as if to agree with himself. "Very well." He had turned his attention back to her. "So, Miss, is there any argument to the statement that, thanks to the intervention of myself, my girls, and my militia, that your life was preserved?" There was an implication in there that she was not liking.

"Ummm... yes. I believe that those people pursuing me would have killed me, had you not intervened." She did not understand why he was going so far to clarify that. She had just watched him kill three players without any qualm, why should she be different?

"So then, you agree that I am entitled to compensation equal to the value of service rendered, yes?" She was so surprised, she didn't answer. "Come now," he said, exasperated, "TANSTAAFL." She didn't know what that was, but ...

"Yes." She said in a quiet, downcast voice.

"You see that this puts me in a difficult position, so I shall outline the limited options you have. Normally, I would have you incorporated into the city, but no one in the city knows where we are, save my militia, and they can be trusted. Now, what would be easiest, would be to take all your stuff, and dump you back in the forest, and let you make your own run back at the floor gate." Her face took on a horrified cast, but she also noticed that Capris gave her an encouraging smile. "But, after losing an officer and two others chasing you, I doubt you would make it, and they would most likely not let you off with something as easy as a quick death, so that is not something I care to risk." He looked uncomfortable, shook it off.

"Option 2, just knock you off now, and get it over with quick and clean, and move on. I do not favor this. I am a killer, but I do not consider myself a murderer, and do not wish to start."

"And, third option, you can pay me for the services rendered. The fee would be discussed, and taken from your Col, and, if proper fee was failed to be reached, your equipment would be leveraged based on lowest listed price on the open market. Any further discrepancy could be negotiated for with other means." At the term "other means" her eyes flicked from Capris, to Willow, and then back, a look of comprehension forming, until Capris shook her head. It was clearly her opinion that she would not have to pay with her body. At least in that manner.

"How would this... deficit, if it existed, be made up?" She asked, trying to keep her voice level, but there was a touch of venom brought on ny the thought of what could be inferred. He knitted his fingers together, and leaned forward.

"I will not lie, it would be in effect, a... shall we say... labor wage agreement.

"So you are saying I would be a slave." He seemed to wince at the word, which didn't make sense.

"I prefer to think of it more as indentured servitude, but you are correct in essence. Like these two, you would be bound to me by the Slave System for the duration of the period until the sum of the cost of the service was earned." Her leaned back heavily. "While I know these terms are far less then optimal, they are the options that are on the table. While it is not really any kind of a fair choice, I still do believe in giving you the right to choose which path you'd like to take. In order to facilitate your decision, please, think as long as you need, and feel free to ask any and all questions you wish." He poked Willow with his foot, and she stopped posturing, and carried the tray of sandwiches over, and offered it to Terra. Feeling tense, but better then she thought she should, she took one, thanked the bearer, and started to eat while she thought. She noticed, in an offhanded fashion, that White did not grab a sandwich himself until this point, even though he had ordered them. He did not eat them until everyone under him had something, even Terra.

Terra was not a ... particularly proficient player of SAO. She was often surprised by the breadth and depth of the game, and the systems in it that they could use. This far, a little under a year in, and there were still new discoveries in what could be done not infrequently. It was as if it was not only built to be a VRMMORPG, but was, under that, a life simulator. Indeed, several of the people she knew had adapted to this world to the point where they occasionally forgot there was a real world outside the game. And not just because they had little hope of the game getting cleared and they returning. This world, after a year, was home. Terra even felt it herself, though she often felt...unequal to the game, and was not convinced she would be able to survive overmuch longer. She had gotten lucky to survive as long as she had, and now she was just reaching the boundary where skill was more important than level. Over level 40, it was not enough to just have the modifiers granted by weapon and equipment proficiency, and the passive stat bonuses granted by skill scores dropped dramatically. It was necessary, if one were to actually progress, to be good at the combat itself. It was not something she believed herself capable of. So maybe her journey to the 13 floor was more than just a random jaunt. Maybe she sought the same thing in the forest so many people did in the real world forest every year.

But, being not great at the game itself, did not mean she was stupid. She noticed things, and was fairly good at puzzle elements and putting odd bits into place, and the thing with the sandwiches got her mind going. What kind of ruthless slave owner make sure everyone else is fed before they themselves ate? Capris, though she only hand gotten an brief impression of her, seemed sharp enough, and genuinely liked being owned by this man. Willow had struck him outright, and yet no reprisal had been observed. And what was with the oddly formal way he was putting his case forward? It would have been easiest if he just had not saved her at all, so why do all of this, now that he had, unless the picture was bigger than her, and she just couldn't see it?

"So, in full honesty, there are actually only two options on the table, correct."

"Yes." He did not hesitate.

"You would murder me just for being in the wrong place?"

"I believe it would be necessary, but I assure you, I would not relish it."

"But you would do it for such a trivial reason." She wasn't asking, just stating it.

"I sympathize with your perspective, but my reason is not trivial." He did not elaborate.

"Can you explain?" He looked tired, all of a sudden.

"I will not be able to answer all of your questions in a way I feel satisfied with. This question, is one of those. No, I cannot explain my reasoning to you, save that it is something I must do, solely for my own, selfish desires."

"Why are you explaining the reasoning behind your actions? Is it supposed to influence my decision?" She knew that he could, and probably would lie about this, but she took the shot anyway.

"No. I do not seek your acceptance, nor forgiveness in these matters. I feel in some small way that you are entitled to know some of the reasoning behind what I am doing, but it is only as a balm for my own conscience. I do and have done many things which any decent person would find despicable. I try to lend what consideration I can to the victims, because it is one factor that allows me to sleep at night.

"So, telling me all of this bull**** makes it easier for you because you "have" to kill me, is that right?" Her voice wasn't quite shrill, but it was clearly hostile. To her surprise, he nodded.

"Yes. I find that by trying to lend whatever courtesies I can to those who must suffer for my actions, I can continue to live with myself." He stated it in such a plain, matter of fact way, it pissed her off extremely. She snorted derisively.

"And you think that will save you, once we get out of here?" She was almost shouting.

"Oh, not at all. Once the game is cleared, I imagine that I will do my very best to end my life, as I hope I will not turn out to be the kind of monster that can live with themselves, after what I have done." Terra stood, dumbfounded, blinking up at the odd, almost cheerful tone he said it with. "But, until that time comes, I sadly have too much to do to quicken the process, and I must continue." She was so taken of guard, she had forgotten her line of questioning. That was...not the kind of answer she expected.

"You used and odd term... tan staple or some such. What did it mean?"

"It's an acronym. There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch. It means that you get what you pay for. In this case, it means, I saved you, and I require compensation."

"What would be the cost of this...compensation?" She asked, warily.

"Well, in short, what is your life worth?" He countered, and she had to tear her eyes from the intensity of his. She thought, in these situations, based on the things she's seen on T.V. and in Manga, that sexual favors were often conferred in these types of situations. But she was getting no vibe like that from this person. Everything she was seeing seemed that the only answer would need to be in Col.

"What would you place it at?" She muttered, her eyes averted.

"Come now!" He said sharply, more in surprise then anger, and she looked up again. "Surely you are not telling me you do not have a figure you could place on your own life?" She thought for a long minute.

"No. I have no opinion on the matter." She answered in a flat, fatalistic tone. He grunted in irritation.

"How about..." he scanned her quickly, eyes examining her impartially like a head of livestock on an auction block, and she found her cheeks grow red in anger, and a petty little thought like "what, am I not pretty enough for your punk ass?" was quickly squelched. "3 mil." He said, and waited. She didn't have an answer; her mouth hung open. She had 30k on her now, in Col, and around 10k in gear and items. Total, in her life, she had had 1.2 mil, when she was looking for cheap property, but now, with the one rooms averaging 4.4+, she had given up, and quit trying to save. He saw her expression, and looked oddly sad. "2.5?" He cut the price.

"What the Hell!?" Willow, until then, calm as a statue, exploded, causing Terra to jump. "When you picked me up, you started at 5, and only dropped it to 4.3 after an hour of negotiating!" He gave her a sardonic, bored look.

"And look how that worked out. 4 months, and I am still losing money on that purchase. Quiet, Woman, I am busy." She looked fussy, and wanted to retort, but returned to her easy position, face still lightly red. He turned his attention back to Terra. "Is that an agreeable price for still being alive?" Truthfully, Terra wanted to spit in his face, and would have if she did not expect that it would shorten her life expectance greatly. He will to live overruled her pride.

"Acceptable." She grunted, disheartened.

"Very well." He opened a menu, typed a few commands, and a large page of paper popped into his hand, along with the quill pen. He scribbled upon the page in a few spots, tapped the point of the pen to his lip thoughtfully, stopped, spit out a bit of ink, and scribbled again. He then vanished the paper, making a throwing motion at Terra with one hand, and a notification window flared to life on her HUD. She accepted, and the paper appeared in her hand, typed except for a few, messily hand written fill ins. The basics of the document were that Terra agreed to serve in bondage as a personal servant (slave) to one "White The Necromancer Player ID# 1125) conforming to all rules and limitations pertaining to the SSC (Slave System Code) at until such a time as the total of 2,500,000 Col was earned, at which time, she would revert back to a free citizen. At the bottom, there was a place for her to sign, and chop with her Player ID. She wondered why he bothered with a formal contract like this, but maybe it was part of the mechanic of the Slave System. If it was originally developed to be an RP system, contracts for duration and terms would make sense, and even allow the "slaves" to be sold to other players consensually, and could be fun, for those who were into that kind of thing. But the implications now were beyond her, as for all intents and purposes, she would be selling her real self, not just whatever chunk of time Master and Slave were on at the same time. Resigned, she signed the line, and planted her ID# 7218.

The paper flashed into a glowing plain white sheet, rolled itself tightly into a horizontal roll, then bent, forming a large ring. It hovered over the wrist of her right, then contracted suddenly, and with a flash, transformed into a little bracelet matching the ones on Capris's and Willow's wrists.

As she watched, her HUD changed slightly, as a few options on her menu bar became grayed out, then vanished. Her empty Col slot changed from reading "Col: 0" to "Allowance: 10000" and next to where she could see her own name on the inventory, a little emblem of crossed scythes glowed where the guild emblem would have been had she been in one. Her inventory window contracted, the list style of 24 slots changing to 12 boxes, with a page change key growing above, rather then the slide bar that existed before. Another inventory tab grew on the top of the menu, labeled "House of White" but she did not have time to look, as the Necromancer cleared his throat for her attention.

She was mildly startled. Now, she saw that his name was displayed over his health bar, "White" in an orange color, the word "Master" in parenthesis after it, and his level, 58, coming at the end. She could see the same type of thing after Capris (level 46) and Willow (level 41) but with the word "co-slave" next to their names.

"Thank you, Miss Terra. I am pleased that we have come to an agreement. You may have noticed some changes to your interface, as I have set it to one I am more comfortable using. Now that you are considered a chattel of my "house" which functions as a guild normally would, except where I interact with you, there are few things new." He pointed. "First, the little wristband is a symbol that shows that you belong to me. It allows me to track you, communicate with you wherever you are, access ALL of your inventory, make contact with you any way I please without social and status issues, and, wherever normally permitted, use teleport crystals on you whenever I wish."

"What do you mean, access all of my inventory?" She said, after he had paused.

"Like this," he said, and opened a window. She couldn't see what he did, but he clicked a tab on his own screen for slaves, selected Terra, opened her inventory, selected an item, and removed it into his hand. She suddenly fell about an inch, and looked down to see her bare feet sitting on the stone floor. "As you had no other items in your inventory, I demonstrated using a of your equipped armor." Before the full implications of this set in, he place the item back, and her boots reappeared on her feet. He then opened another window, and began sliding other itmes into her inventory.

"What I am doing now is loading you with some basics. Teleport Crystals, healing Crystals, Repair kits, Feild Rations, and the like. Everything you would need for any basic errands I may have you run. You may have noticed that your money slot has now changed to an "Allowance" slot. This money is for you to use as you see fit for your personal comfort, and the completion of your duties. An accounting is automatically generated as the numbers change, and show up in a report under my house tab, so I can see how the money is spent. After I finish here, Capris will take you to the market, and help you shop for things she thinks you may need, as she has more experience being a slave then I do." Terra's face fell, think about how the price of living would drive her cost until freedom through the roof. White identified the look and continued.

"This cost is written against my budget to run the house, and not totaled against your total indenture. In the same vein, all costs of feeding, gearing, and housing are now my responsibility." He opened yet another window, "House Management" and clicked the "Expand Room" tab, selected the bedroom, and clicked the "Expand" key. 500,000 Col was deducted, and his personal quarters were increased by 5 cubic feet. He then backed up a menu, and selected "Add Room" and clicked a size of 10x10x10, clicked accept, and little red numbers to the tune of -1,500,000 floated away and faded from the air. Terra was able to see this, as this window could be view by all members of the house, so when he accessed it, the girls could see.

"There, I just added space to out our room, located behind the throne, and added a storage room for you to place whatever items you acquire while in my employ." Terra stood in open mouth astonishment, watching this person drop 2 mil without batting an eye. He looked at her, looking tired.

"What? I told you, housing costs fall to me. The designer planned well for this, and owning Slaves is not cheap. Oh, and before I forget, once Capris gets you re-outfitted, you are to go and turn over you current armor to Huggs'n'stuff to deposit in his lockboxes. Once you become a free citizen again, all the items you possessed upon signing the contract will be returned to you." He sat and thought for a minute, then rose.

"That is all for now. In a while, once you get settled, say... a week or two, I will take you out, and get you outfitted for combat. Until then, you are restricted to the city. You cannot tell anyone about where we really are, as the little wristband delivers incentives whenever you try not to comply with orders, and cannot leave, as you need a special authorization to use the floor teleport in the city.. Capris will fill you in on the rest of what you need to know." And with that, he turned from Terra, still stunned, like she didn't exist, and talked to Capris. "I am going out."

"Where?" She asked in a worried tone, but she was talking to his back as he left at a brisk walk, and ignored it. She watched, sighed. "He's going to get smashed, and wander in the early hours of the morning. Damn." She shook her head, then turned to Terra, friendly smile on her face. "Anyway, welcome to the family!"

**End 1**

**Alright, this was going to be a one shot, but... it got a little complicated. So, I am going to pinch it off here for now, and I promise, more shall be explained next time, but I kinda just wanted to drop you right in the middle of it, and let you learn along with Terra rather then explain it all in one go. Hope it's not to loathsome, and thanks.**


	2. Capris

_Sword Art Online: Alternate Lives_

_By: The 483_

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to **_**Sword Art Online.**_** Spoiler Alert: Light to moderate Spoilers may be contained herein.**

**A note here, for I want to avoid confusion as much as possible (not that I believe I can, for I am, I fear, very befuddling by nature). For the main narrative, I will be presenting mainly form Terra's perspective, in the 3****rd**** person. But for the flashbacks, it will be from White's perspective, 3****rd**** person, because I feel it gives a more… cinematic effect.**

**Capris**

The market of the city under the mountain, or Fog Town, as it was listed in the map, or New London as Terra's…master… called it, was bustling with friendly happy people. Terra was walking in complete befuddlement behind her…Sister Slaves?...who were literally strolling hand in hand through the streets, waving and chatting with the people they passed. They seemed to know everyone.

"…is that look for?" Terra jumped back as the blonde girls blued eyes were suddenly only centimeters from her own. She fell on her ass, her cheeks flaming red.

"Aw, Willow, be nice. She's one of us now." Capris said, her hands folded in repose, lightly chiding the other girl. Willow leaned over, hands on her hips, and loomed over the fallen girl.

"But, Pree, you didn't see the look she had! I haven't seen a look of that skepticism even from the Boss Man." She cocked a brow at Terra. "What's the matter? What is so hard to swallow?"

"I-I'm sorry." Terra said, haltingly. "It's just… I don't understand!" And suddenly, Terra was, for the first time since she had been captured only about an hour prior, she burst into tears. It wasn't the racking, chest lurching sobs of hurt, just streams of tears as she couldn't hold back against the sorrow, confusion and fear any longer. Willow, completely misunderstanding the cause, flushed.

"Oh, shit! No, no, don't cry! I didn't mean to seem angry!" She panicked, and dropped next to the girl, now trying to comfort her as she slipped slowly over into full hysterics. "Please don't cry! I didn't mean anything, honest!" Willow was completely at a loss as for what to do, floundering and sputtering. Capris stepped quickly forward, pushed her aside, and gathered up the girl in her arms.

"Go get the basics she shall need." She said, her tone clipped. "This is my fault. I should have known she wasn't stable, she was just still in shock. We should not have brought her out yet. Go get the stuff, I shall take her home, and get her settled." Throwing an arm across Terra's slumped shoulders, Capris half walked, half dragged Terra back to their own apartments. Getting her up onto a bed in a room that had three, along with a trio of large, ornate chests, Capris began trying to calm the woman down. It took 20 minutes before the poor girl could get a sufficient grip upon herself to uncurl and look around.

"Feeling better?" Capris asked, holding out a steaming mug of something with an understanding smile. Terra did not take the proffered drink, but merely sat up, wrapped her arms around her knees, and rested her chin on them, staring straight ahead. "Hey, are you okay?" Terra did not want to answer. She didn't want to talk, or look, or do anything. But the sheer incredulity at what this person just asked drove her almost scathing reply.

"In what possible way could I be okay!?" Capris's friendly smile didn't falter.

"A fair point. I apologies for improper wording." She gave a slight bow, her eyes glittering slightly in the dim light. "But it is my duty to see that you are taken care of, so I must ask your forgiveness."

"Screw your forgiveness!" She roared, her despair suddenly flaring into rage. "I was just minding my own damn business, and now I am a slave in some weird city under a damn mountain!" All of her sorrow, frustration and hopelessness merged into a burning anger. Before she knew what she was doing, her hand, still shaky from her breakdown, flitted out with a dull "thwack," slapping the woman across the mouth. It didn't amount to much, it did perhaps 30 points of damage, and left only a slight red mark on her cheek. Terra then, realizing she had just spoiled the opinion of the only one likely to be kind to her, curled back into herself.

"Alright." Capris said softly, correcting the angle of her neck, her hair hanging down over her eyes. She lifted a pale hand and felt her cheek briefly. "Now do you feel better?" Terra gave no response. "If not… would it help if you were to strike me again?"

"What?" Terra asked quietly, looking sideways over at the woman.

"If it will help you calm down, I will allow you to hit me again." Tears began to run down Terra's face again, silently.

"Why?" Her question came as an exasperated sob.

"Because it is my duty to help ease you into your new life. I can understand that is difficult to adjust, and will do all that I am able to help you adapt." Terra stared openly at the woman.

"But… why? Why would you do that?"

"Because it is my duty." Her voice held a hard conviction that shocked the girl. "The boss has his expectations, and is confident that I am able to achieve his goals. Therefore, I desire not to let him down. So, if it helps you to settle, you may strike me again." Terra wanted to, if for no other reason than to make a point, but her fight was gone.

"No. It won't help." She finally said, sagging down, completely spent.

"Very well. Then let me begin by apologizing for taking you out into the city right away. I should have realized that you would not be well."

"What other way could I be?" She bit back. "Did you expect me to be _happy_ that I have been enslaved?" The girl, to Terra's surprise, looked ashamed.

"It had not crossed my mind that you would find it unpleasant. I allowed my own experience to color my perception."

"You mean… you ARE happy to be owned?" Terra almost spit out the words. The Girl, rather than looking miffed, had a smile of pleased remembrance on her face.

"Well, not in and of itself. It has much more to do with _who_ owns me now." The emphasis showed that there was a story here.

"You mean, this is not your first master?" For the first time, Capris looked almost worried.

"Oh, you must not refer to him as Master!" She said, in a whisper, looking around as if to see who was listening.

"…What?" The girl nodded fretfully.

"Yes… Boss, Chief, White, Necromancer, anything like that. But never Master." Terra was beginning to wonder more if this woman was supposed to make her cycle emotions so fast she became numb, rather than get her used to being a slave, as she started in incredulity.

"Wait a moment, here. You are trying to tell me, that I am now owned by a person who made it perfectly clear that he is to be my Master, but I am not to refer to him as such? Excuse me, but what the hell?"

"Yes. He does not like the term." It was Willow now, entering with a tray loaded with light snacks, and a large thermos of some steaming drink. She placed it on the bed, and removed a chair and some mugs from her inventory, tossing down the mugs and sitting in the chair, next to Capris. "But don't ask us why. It's one of the great unknowns of our station. All over your fuss, now?"

"Willow." Capris said with a sigh, and Willow looked sheepish.

"Ah, sorry. Don't mean to come off like a bitch. But like it or not, you're family now. Figure it's easier to get used to if I treat you like it, no?"

"Maybe…" Terra answered diffidently.

"Though, I do understand that your circumstances are different then our own, after all." Willow conceded absently. "After all, you were… coerced into it out of necessity, were as I volunteered to show my thanks for getting me out of a … complicated situation."

"Yes. I am the only one who was actually taken. But that was not by White. He won me in a card game, about 5 months after launch, and I have been his, willingly, since then." She said. She then turned her attention to Willow. "Did you get the basics?"

"Just pulled them out of stocks, I will replace them with the allotment later." Capris frowned.

"You know _he_ does not like it when you do it that way."

"And _HE_ isn't going to know, because you know as well as I do, that he is going to be completely wasted when he returns tonight, and I will have it all sewn up tight before he will be any the wiser." Terra let out a frustrated groan, clutching her head.

'I don't get it! Why do you people seem to be so happy! You are slaves! Slaves! Shouldn't you hate it, and the person who has put you here?" She shouted, her feelings finally starting to crystalize. Capris looked concerned, but not angry.

"Oh, that. Why, we ARE happy. And you will be too, once you get used to things, I think."

"I do not see how that could possibly happen." Terra replied in a flat voice dripping with disdain."

"I believe it, because I felt the same way when I was first brought here." Willow said, with a wise nod. "Say… Pree, why don't you tell her about your own case? That should help her get an idea of what to expect." Capris thought about it for a moment.

"I could do that, if you'd like." She looked to Terra for approval, and she grudgingly gave a nod.

(…)

Rain slashed heavily from the dark, turbulent sky, wind whipping it almost sideways at times. The storm was heavier than the normal, but considering the floor itself was perpetually locked within the rainy season, there was very rarely a time when it was NOT raining to some degree. But, half a year into the game, most were used to the foibles of the lower tier floors by now. Hell, the main progression group was already up on floor 36, only a week after reaching floor 35. Things had been slowing down since the 30th floor was cleared, as the dungeons had doubled in size from the lower 30, the mazes got more complex, and the traps and mobs more numerous and deadly. It was expected that every 10 floors, things would get harder, now, the lowest 20 not counting, as they were the "Starter" floors, serving only to get the players to their own 30th level, and then mostly becoming residences for players.

But this town, Neptune, on the 27th, was in the castle proper, and was popular for those who liked a little more… mature content. The town's founder, Porkuleese, had fashioned it on the shore of a small lake, and designed it partly as a shanty town, and partly like an old Spanish settlement in the New World, while himself dressing and behaving as a Pirate lord of old film. But, as such, almost anything could be found and purchased there, from drugs, to alcohol and stills, to slaves and whores. It had been the first true "Free Trade" city established in Aincrad, and while copy's had sprung up and would continue to, Neptune still had the reputation as the best.

White, a dark grey leather trench coat pulled tight, its collar flared, liked the Pirate theme of the town. With the clapboard and stick houses mixed with nice, imperial Spanish ones, the lush foliage, and torches everywhere, it really felt like a 16 century Mediterranean colony. Besides, with Pirates following the cyclical cycle of fads with Ninja's and Zombies, it was about due for a revival. Pushing through the crowds of early evening players and NPC's, head bent to the rain, he made his way down the jagged and muddy streets. Finally, he found the right intersection, made a right, and pushed open a red door into the familiar tavern, "The One Eyed Wench." He moved to the counter, and sat at a stool, selecting a drink from the menu that appeared as he sat. Col was deducted from his wallet, and the NPC Barman slid a mug down to him. Perched on the stool, the hilt of his Sword, the Katana styled "Tusk," a white adorned blade of light element, stuck out sideways from his right hip. His boots were heavy metal plated armor, as were the bracer and arm sections of his gauntlets. Lighter chain covered the back of the hand a palm. At level 45, he did not fear anything this town could throw at him. He hadn't leveled in 2 weeks, because at 40, the EXP necessary per level had jumped dramatically, and as he had very little taste for the tedium that the guilds on the front called "Raiding," he would have to wait, and scour the floors after they finished.

But tonight, he was just bored, and looking to distract himself for a few hours. A card game was going on in the back corner under a pair of oil lamps hung from the ceiling, and was a cleaner for of recreation then the others offered in Neptune, so he decided to break in. He purchased a chit for a round of drinks, rose, and walked to the table. There were 5 people seated, but the only one worth noticing was a big brute of a man, whose name was supply listed as Clipper. White placed the round chit on the table, which would deliver a round of drinks, the customary buy in, and took the vacant seat across from him.

"Oy, scrub. Game's poker. 2,000 Col minimum, cash out at 50,000. You suited for that?" This meant that each hand started at 2,000 Col, and a player could take their winnings off the table whenever they reached 50k, and keep playing, having removed that sum to their own pockets.

"I think I can manage." White said, and popped 100k on the table. This doubled what was already on the table, while not harming White's accounts. He had a city himself, now, Level 3, and it provided a decent income on a 3 day basis of collection.

White had noticed that a girl stood meekly behind Clipper. She looked almost sickly, and had clear signs of abuse. Where her name would sit, the word "Slave" shown. She had not even been given a name. But, this was not new to White. Ever since floor 31 had been reached, and the lower 20 floors lost their protected status, there had been an influx of Slaves as those players unable to protect themselves had been hunted down and enslaved, to be used or sold in towns like this. White felt the usual contempt for creatures such as this that kept such human livestock, but was used to it enough not to let it show.

For two hours, they played. Two had dropped out, failing to meet cash requirements, and a third had cashed his pot twice. Clipper had been getting considerably drunk as time went on, betting more boldly, and getting angrier when he lost. The other two faceless men at the table seemed to be afraid of him, and would often fold when he raised sharply. White, who had won steadily, had around 500k in front of him, and had not cashed out. HE had watched, in growing irritation, as the man had sent his slave for drinks, usually with at least a backhand to ensure fast service.

Looking blearily at his cards, the drunk man smiled, pushed his last 40k into the pile, and waited. The two facelesses folded.

"Call and raise 100k." White answered calmly, pushing his 140k into the pile, which brought the total up to 350k. A nice sum. Clipper was pissed. He was sure he had the better hand, but he had not brought reserve cash, he was tapped. And in order to stay in and claim the pot, he needed to match. "What, can't match?" White asked innocently. "Tell you what, toss in the slave, and I'll consider it matched."

"Add 'nother 50k to the pot." Even drunk, the man was shrewd. White complied, and Clipper tossed a bill of ownership into the pile. "Show 'em." He grinned savagely, flipping his cards. "Flush." Five diamonds showed. White leaned back in his chair, and casually flipped his cards.

"Full house, aces and 9's." He flicked his wrist, hitting the cash out button on his collection window, as the big man slowly turned red with drunken anger. White rose, and pushed in his chair. "Thank you for an interesting game." He slipped his right hand into his coat, putting it in his back pocket and clearly displaying his sword. With his left, he flicked out another chit. "Have another round, on me." The chit he placed was good for 1000 Col. It could not be said that White was cheap.

A new menu had popped up on White's HUD, but he ignored it for the moment. He would delve into its intricacies after he was inside his room at the Inn. He went to tell his new property to follow him, when he saw that she had already walked over, and was waiting vacantly behind and to his right. He turned and took a step, and she followed, so he left, quickly, before Clipper could collect himself enough to do anything but stare.

He had never owned another person before, and truthfully, had never intended too. The very thought sickened him in a deep part of his soul. When he had seen that he could rook the bastard inside into possibly placing her in the pot, he had done so, figuring he could then take her out of town, and set her on her way, free and clear. It was raining harder than it had been when he entered, three hours prior, and the girl was in a set of torn and dirty clothes that were hardly more than burlap sacks with holes in them. She was instantly soaked, but White did not act. He had seen slavery in this town before, and knew that if he tried to correct this now, it would draw unwanted attention. So, he simply set a pace that the poor creature could not match, slowed so she could keep up, and headed straight back for his room.

Once inside, and out of the rain, the girl simply took a step to the right, turned her back to the wall, and stood dripping by the door, apparently waiting for orders.

"Go ahead and sit on a chair." He said, guessing that she needed to be directed. He pulled out the chair at the desk, and turned it. She moved over, and sat, then ceased moving. White sighed. This was not a good sign. "What's your name?"

"Slave." She said, with no inflection or hesitation. White didn't like it one bit. He turned from her, and activated the new tutorial he had suppressed earlier, and began to read it. It was fascinating in its depth, the system truly making a slave out of the person ensnared, just as thoroughly as if it were in the Real World. It would have been interesting as an RP element, but seeing as this game had had its world turned into a reflection of true life, it was disgusting. It was half an hour before he finished, and turned back to the woman. She had not moved an inch.

The basis was, that he could do anything he wished of her, and she could do nothing about it. If he made an order, and she failed to comply, the little wrist collar with the chain on it, would deliver a small electric jolt to her nerves, increasing in pseudo pain until she complied, or if she tried to attack him, a muscle lock would occur and she would be unable to complete the motion.

Realizing just how much power he suddenly had, he became very, very uncomfortable. She was, if you looked past the dirt and signs of abuse, not unattractive. He shivered slightly. It was one thing to believe you were a good person, and it was a very different thing to have the opportunity thrown in your lap to find out if you really were.

"What is your name?" He tried again, thinking maybe it would get better results.

"Slave."

"Has that always been your name?" He said, after a sigh.

"I cannot recall." She answered immediately. He slapped himself in the forehead. She was not being difficult, he could tell. He rubbed his eyes. He had never encountered a real slave like this before, but had read various things about it. He had a feeling that this poor creature he had before him had been broken, violently, and no longer knew it was a people. His original plan had been to take her out of town, somewhere safe, and free her. But what he was seeing made him doubt she could survive. He had a hunch she would be like an animal raise in captivity and later released into the wild. She would probably just sit where he left her until she starved, was killed, or was recaptured.

So, as much as it made him sick, he figured he was stuck with her, as the alternative would have been too much like murder for his taste.

"Alright. I need to examine you, to see how bad you are." He said, turning, and finally taking of his heavy coat and armored chest piece, letting them collapse into his inventory. This left him in a long sleeved shirt and metal plated gloves. He had turned her back to her, thinking he would have to go back out and get food and clothing for her. She needed to have her apparent status raised. He may have to own a slave, but he'd be damned if he would allow her to walk around looking like it.

He turned back, and took a startled step back, before whipping back around so fast he almost fell over.

"What the hell are you doing?" He said, flushed with embarrassment. Apparently, his words had triggered her, for she had stood, and was naked.

"Ready." She said, her voice still without an inflection. White opened his own inventory, flipped to the tab labeled "Capris," and paused, momentarily befuddled by his own idiocy. Of course, he had read that he would be able to access her inventory. It just had not connected that there he would be able to find her name. All that was in the inventory was a shirt and pants. He felt a momentary spike of anger that she had not even been given underwear, clamped down on it, and reequipped her clothes. He needed to take care of this girl, and if he lost his temper now, that wouldn't do either of them any good.

"Was I bad?" She asked, almost in tears. He turned around, astonished.

"What? No. No, you were not bad." White decided right there, that if even _half_ the things he suspected were true, he might have to kill someone. And if even a quarter of what he suspected was true, he would not even lose sleep over it.

She looked so relieved he almost felt bad for refusing the implied invitation, like in doing so, he was the bad guy. She immediately unequipped her shirt again.

"Ah! Knock that off!" He quickly turned again. "Geez, this is bad for my heart…" He said to himself wearily. He reequipped it, and turned to her. "Now, Capris…" she looked startled, the first time she had showed any expression that gave him hope, and then looked confused. "I am going to examine you, but not naked. I just want to look at you to see what I can do with you… wow… there is really no way I can say this that doesn't imply me being horrible, is there?" Capris didn't reply, but her look managed to say clearly that the question was beyond her ability to answer. "I just want to look at your eyes, and mouth, and limbs and the like…" He had a thought, and figured that maybe if he acted as if _he_ thought she was property, rather than a person, she could understand then. "Basically, I want to inspect the property I just won, and make sure I wasn't cheated by receiving defective goods." To his great relief and dismay, she clearly understood, and stood straight, legs spread so her ankles were parallel to her shoulders, and her arms stretched out straight. It made his chest hurt to see this, but it needed to be done.

He really only wanted to check her bruised, cuts, and eyes. Just as he thought, her eyes were dead. She had been broken, and then taught to be a slave. He only hoped that the horrors that she had endured didn't completely destroy the person locked in the depths of her mind. Well, he could try and make her human again. If nothing else, it would keep him from being bored for a few weeks. He paused, wondering if that last thought was really as callous as it sounded. He then shook his head, and moved on. The situation was so beyond his normal operation, he couldn't even begin to analyze it properly yet.

He had pulled back to think more than 5 minutes earlier, and realized with dismay that she had not moved. This would take some getting used to.

"Oh, sorry, I am finished, you can go back to relaxing." She lowered her arms, and he placed his hand on his chin as he wondered what to do next. "Hmm… Alright, then. I am going to go out and hit a shop, get you some new clothes and get us some food. While I am gone, I want you to go and bathe in the bathroom here, and scrub until you feel clean." He wanted to make his orders as precise as possible. She had displayed only one act of electively construction the spirit of his orders, but he was not going to do THAT, so he wanted to be clear.

One of the nicest features of SAO, was that, while it was a High Fantasy type game, minus magic, it was not strictly European Middle Ages timeframe in its execution. There was running water, water heaters, electricity, indoor plumbing, and even some computer functionality, in a limited way. In a lot of ways, it was like being in a purposefully retro styled world, with all the modern conveniences in hand. Very handy in a game that, in many ways, mirrored Real Life to two decimal places.

Bathing and eating were actually necessary, as, if a person skipped for too long, they would get progressively hungrier, and start to fail, and would start to stink and itch. No big mystery, as it was all just electrical input being enacted on the brain, so in a way, it really was just direct sensory manipulation that simply bypassed the sense organs. Very neat stuff.

"Anyway, once you are done, wrap yourself in a clean sheet from the bed, and wait for me if I am not back before you are finished. You are not to leave the room, and you are not to let ANYONE inside for any reason. Understood?" She nodded. "Very good. Then I shall return shortly." With a flick of his arm, he reequipped his coat and chest armor, pulled up his collar, and stepped out of the room. He locked the door behind him, and ducking, walked out into the heavy rain.

The Inn was safe to leave her in. It was, so far as anyone could tell, an invariant that you could not be harmed in an Inn. A little safeguard for when you needed a place to sleep. It was even a non-dueling area. There was thought of exploiting this, early on, but the need to keep earning Col and eating and all the other pressures of man as a social animal, made this impossible for more than a few weeks at most. So, it was just universally known that an Inn was the only truly safe place in the game.

He moved down the street, in mud almost to the ankle. But he knew where he needed to go. The General dealer only had bare bones stuff, and like all real invested players, for White, it was ALL about customization. Luckily, Neptune was large enough to have attracted an Armorer.

All player cities, when founded, popped a general dealer, which would support basic gear commensurate with the level of the city. But, when a city leveled, and it's population of NPC's increased, other, specialized merchants would appear and offer better goods then the general store. These included, but were not limited to Armorer/clothier, Smith, and Grocer, providing armor/clothes, weapons, and food other than the base bread rations.

Visiting the Clothier, resident in the Armory, illustrated two of the prime advantages of living in this virtual mimicry of the world. One, the mud that caked Whites legs did nothing other than give a small penalty to his agility stat, and was otherwise a purely aesthetic effect. It did not track into the store, and would vanish if he unequipped and reequipped his boots and greaves. The second was while he browsed the dressed in stock. All the armor/clothes were of the magical "one size fits all" variety only in a game world, and made his job so very much easier. He selected a trio of nice, pretty (to his eye) dresses, as well as a number of female style shirts (cuts differing from the Male models, though either gender could equip either type) some pants, underwear, and a dozen count grab bag of socks. No need to change them, they would not get dirty, but White enjoyed changing his look whenever he got bored, and liked to offer the chance to his charge.

He moved to the counter, his selection in an open window, and the purchase button un-greyed and became selectable as he reached the counter. He was within an inch of clicking, when he made snap decision, and added a hundred count of a quartet of fabric types, a set of base armor for… He popped open his menu's, and looked over Capris Character Sheet with a practiced eye, and keyed for a level 15 Armor set. She'd need 2 levels to use it, but that would be easy to achieve. He added a level 25 set too, as since she passed 30, he would have her in full custom, and they wouldn't need to rely on this vendor trash anymore. He thought about getting cloth for crafting, (not himself, he had a guy for that) but decided to see what he had when he returned home, either without the slave, or with her at least able to pretend to be proper person. He paid for the goods, braced, and dove back out into the pouring rain. Maybe, just maybe… this little endeavor would turn out to be some fun.

(…)

"Granted," Capris said, once she finished relating the above, "I don't remember any of that personally. Oh, I remember getting captured, and some of the beatings and abuses mental physical and sexual that I was subjected to. But I had had my spirit broken, and thankfully, much of the months I spent under that horrid Clipper are a complete dead spot to me. In my memory, it's just from shortly after capture, then a jump to suddenly being owned by White, and him insisting that if "I try that again, or any variation thereof, then I shall make up a pallet for myself on the floor, and you will never be allowed to share in a doss with me again."" She added, doing a fair mockup of White's voice where she supplied a verbatim quote.

"What were you trying to do?" Terra asked. She had listened intently, but paid no real merit to the tale, as Capris had made it emphatically clear in the beginning that the part of the story she related thus far was told to her.

"I am not quite sure… but I do know it was something rather lewd. I believe that my main station under Clipper was as a sex toy. So naturally, I would try and continue my routine services for my new boss. The next thing I know, and my first real memory with him, I simply burst into tears and sobbed like I never knew I could." She gave a happy giggle, sighing with happy memories. "I dare say that flustered him more than anything I have managed sense."

Suddenly, a slamming noise issues from the direction of the throne, and slowly, shabbily, the lord of the house shuffled unsteadily into the lounge where the girls were reclining. He moved across without looking at the, clearly drunk and morose, and into the bedroom proper, that door slamming as well. Willow rose.

"Ah, hell." She heaved a weary sigh. "I guess I should get going then. You two have a good night. Are you fetching breakfast, Capris?"

"Yes, dear. Don't worry. I'll have it before even you are up." Willow signed her thanks, and shifted her gaze to Terra.

"Night, Newbie, and welcome home. Sure, it's a strange place, but you'll get used to it." She turned and made her way over and into the room with her master.

"Wait…" Terra said, looking perturbed, "why did she go in there like that? She's not going to… sleep with him, is she?"

"Of course she is."

"What! Why?" Terra exploded, disgust evident in her voice. Capris took it without apparent jar.

"Because in the state he is in, he would not allow me to do so. He believes that I would be tempted to take advantage of the situation while he is not within his full capacity. But Willow is far gruffer with him then I can be, and at times like these, he seems to respond better to her."

"Wait… what do you mean that YOU might take advantage of HIM? If he is forcing you to sleep with him, he is taking advantage of you!" Terra said. She was beginning to believe that she would never get the confusing nature of this woman's speech down. Contrary to all sense, she really seemed to be grateful to be in the position she was in. Capris looked startled.

"Oh, I see. No, no. When I said sleep with, I meant just that. We just sleep in the same bed. We do not do anything more than occasionally cuddle. White would not allow it. Indeed, we had to fight, or rather, I did, early on, for even that much." Terra's incredulity was spread on her face.

"So… he doesn't force you to have sex with him?" Capris was lucky that she was not the type that could be offended by people trying to patronize her.

"Oh, my, no. Not that he would need to order it, in my case anyway. No, quite the opposite, in fact. He is so adamant about it, that I almost feel I should take offence at his reticence. But, if you are worried that you shall be called upon for that, I assure you, that I do not believe it will ever happen. White has never laid a hand upon myself, or to my knowledge, Willow." She then looked imploringly at Terra. "I can in some small way understand your concern. I just ask you to try and see this in a less negative light, and you will be alright." She reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Well, would you like me to finish my story? It's not much, and it is biased but it may give you some relief."

"DO whatever you want." Terra said, half sulky.

"Very well. After I came back to myself, it took me almost no time to adjust, as I still felt much like a slave, but I learned, slowly, that I need not fear the beatings my body seemed to expect. We spent another week in that town, him working with me and teaching me what he expected of me. Two days before we left, Clipper assaulted us, and tried to reclaim the money lost, and to some extent, possibly me. White defeated him, even though he had gotten the drop on us. Or rather, me. White said later he had known that something of the sort would happen, thought he would have let it alone if Clipper had. Myself, I could do nothing but huddle in fear, crying while my previous master was near." Capris paused, and looked into space, lost in the memory.

"What happened then?" Terra asked, not pretending to be uninterested any longer.

"White killed him." She said evenly. "Now, I am sure he feels that this is the reason I feel indebted to him, but that is at best a very minor part of it. But either way, I feel this was important, as much for him, as for me."

"Why?" Terra asked, wondering why taking a life, especially of scum, should bother a person like White.

"Because, when he came into possession of me, White's name was green." Terra's eyes widened, knowing what that meant.

"So his first… was for you?"

"I think so. He vehemently denies it, but I don't believe it. He tried to brush it off, saying that "creatures like that as so sub-human, that they do not even give experience points." But I still believe there was more to it then that." She turned her full attention to Terra now. "I hate to say it, but I have an early morning tomorrow, and must turn in. I shall lead you to a bed you may use. I just ask that you give him a chance before you judge to harshly."

"I suppose I can try." Terra said, and half meant it.


End file.
